Page 42 of Love or Leave (Mapleton #4)

Suddenly, the pianist in the corner of the room shifted the music, cuing the start of the procession and a lump rose in his throat.

This was it.

Ethan and Natalie came down the aisle first, grinning as they linked arms. Ethan gave him a wide smile and a playful shrug on the way down. He was pretty sure his best friend never thought he'd see this day.

Next were Max and Willow. She looked pretty and happy. He looked… stoic. Adam wouldn't have expected anything else.

Then came Cara and Antonio, walking in perfect sync, happy and light. He was thankful they'd worked out their problems. It was good to see them happy. Cara gave him a little thumbs-up and Antonio flashed him a grin.

Finally, Jae came down on her own. When she got to the end, he knew this was it. Chelsea was on her way.

He inhaled deeply as the music changed again, and the doors opened. And there she was.

His wife.

All he could see were her stunning aqua eyes, misty and beautiful, shining at him from down the aisle. He fought off the urge to speed things up, get this done so he could start the rest of his life.

Beside her, holding her hand with a serious expression, was Ben. He tugged her hand forward, and Adam's heart cracked open wide. He watched as his little family walked toward him.

He felt the sting of tears and forced himself to keep it together. But the lump in his throat swelled as they got closer and closer. He glanced toward the crowd for a split second, and everyone was dabbing their eyes.

When they reached him, Ben passed Chelsea's hand over to him with a nod, as they'd practiced. Adam whispered, "Thanks, buddy," before standing to face the love of his life.

The officiant began, but Adam barely heard a word until it was time for the vows.

Chelsea went first. She talked about how he was her biggest supporter, her love, her best friend, her safe place.

He had to blink back emotion as he read his vows to her and Ben, and when he told her she made life worth living, his voice choked and a tear came free.

Finally, the officiant got to the easy part—saying "I do." An overwhelming feeling came over him that his life—the life he was always meant to live—was finally beginning.

"You may now kiss your bride."

He leaned in, took Chelsea in his arms and kissed her, and the room erupted into cheers.

Adam smiled against her lips, and when he pulled back, he got her beautiful dimples.

"I'm never going to stop loving you," he said.

Chelsea smiled that smile he loved so much and kissed him again. "Same."

The snow began falling again in soft, drifting flakes, settling on the stone path behind the golf course. The photos were taking longer than expected—too many people, too many candid moments—but Cara didn't mind.

Everyone was glowing with love and the glass of champagne she'd been sipping warmed her from the inside. She stood just off to the side under a canopy the photographer had set up, her fingers intertwined with Antonio's.

Across the way, Chelsea and Adam laughed, faces lit with happiness as the photographer snapped shot after shot. Ben was up high on Adam's shoulders and covered his eyes with both hands as Chelsea leaned in to kiss Adam.

Cara smiled, her heart was warm despite the chill. She leaned into Antonio's shoulder and sighed.

"They look so happy,” she said.

"They are," he said, voice low. He bent toward her and kissed her temple.

So was she. And everyone else.

She glanced across the path at Willow, who had her hand on her stomach, and wondered if she was waiting until tomorrow to tell Max.

The thought of being an aunt had filled her heart all day, but it had also brought up many questions she had about her own future.

She gave a side-long glance to Antonio and wished she could read his mind. They hadn't really talked about them since they officially became a couple. It had only been a few weeks, but she wanted to make sure they were on the track she wanted to be on.

Her fingers tightened around his. "I want this to be us someday," she said in a near whisper, as if she was confessing.

Antonio didn't flinch. He didn't even blink. He just turned toward her and smiled his heart-stopping smile.

"I talked to Max this morning about us," he said.

She blinked, surprised. "You did?"

Antonio nodded.

What the hell? Why wouldn't he just talk to her?

Antonio turned toward her, took both her hands. He probably sensed her annoyance. "I just wanted him to know my intentions. Full transparency."

Cara wanted to roll her eyes, but more than that, she wanted to know what they talked about. "Your intentions?"

He stared at her for a moment, carefully choosing his words. "I want a future with you, and I want…"

"What?" she asked, impatient with his trailing off. She silently hoped he was ready to take the next step.

She knew she was ready.

"I want you to consider moving in with me."

His words removed all the tension her body was holding. She sank in relief.

Thank God he was on the same page as her.

She hadn't wanted to invite herself to move in with him, but she was definitely considering it.

Her shoulders relaxed and she moved in closer, leaning against his chest. "I thought I was going to have to gradually leave my stuff at your place until you got the hint."

He gave a soft laugh and brushed a thumb over her cheek. "Why don't you just think of it as y our place, and move everything in all at once?"

Cara stood on her tiptoes and kissed him as his arms came around her back and lifted her into the air.

Antonio set her down and smiled into her eyes. "We'll make it our home together."

She beamed and kissed him again. It seemed like they were heading toward their own wedding someday.

And someday didn't feel too far away at all.

Ethan sat at the head table, quietly nursing a beer as laughter and music swirled around the reception. He'd carefully planned out his speech weeks before and printed it on a single index card. Short and sweet, as Adam requested.

He'd even rehearsed it out loud to Natalie as they cuddled on the couch in their home the night before. So he was ready when Adam's uncle, who'd been emceeing for the evening, appeared at his side with a grin and a microphone.

"Best man means you're the speech guy," he said.

Ethan smiled and took the mic, then stood and gently tapped a dessert spoon on a crystal water glass. The sound echoed across the warm, candlelit room as everyone turned to look at him. He pulled his index card from his breast pocket and began.

"Adam and I met when we were seven years old playing on the same little league team," Ethan said. "He showed up to the first game wearing two left cleats because, and I quote, 'the right one didn't feel right.'"

Laughter rumbled through the room and Adam shrugged, as if that made perfect sense.

"When we were in grade eight, he asked my why a skeleton wouldn't want to go to a dance.”

“Because he had no body to go with," Adam piped up from his seat.

Ethan laughed along with the room and shook his head. "See what I've been dealing with?"

Everyone laughed again.

"This is how I know he's going to be the best dad a kid could ask for. He's been telling dad jokes since he was seven."

The vibe shifted in the room and the laughter melted into emotional aww's. Ethan looked at his parents and sister at the table across the room. His mom dabbed her eyes with her napkin.

"Growing up with Adam meant never being bored. He was always the loudest one in the room, the first to try something ridiculous. You honestly couldn't predict what he'd do next."

"But underneath the endless jokes, the wild energy, and the slightly unhinged karaoke performances, Adam is a great guy. He has the biggest heart of anyone I know. And watching him love Chelsea and Ben the way he does… it's something special."

He caught Natalie's eyes across the head table. She was sitting next to Chelsea with a soft smile and shining eyes.

Ethan knew how low she'd been feeling lately, given the struggles they'd had trying to conceive. He felt down, too.

He held her eyes and went off script.

"I've learned that love doesn't always show up the way you expect. Sometimes it starts in chaos. In uncertainty. With hard days and big decisions and terrifying hope."

Natalie pushed away tears, and he had to swallow the emotion that bubbled up.

"But if you're lucky—and I think all of us in this room are—you find someone to go through it all with. Someone who holds your hand on the good days and holds you up on the bad ones. Someone who says ‘We've got this!’ even when they're not totally sure. That's love. That's family."

He broke eye contact with Natalie and looked at Adam.

"I'm really glad I get to stand here beside you while you build your own family," he said and raised his glass. "To Adam and Chelsea. To family, to laughter, and to a lifetime of truly terrible dad jokes."

The crowd laughed and tapped their glasses.

Ethan switched the mic off, and before he could turn, Adam side tackled him with a hug.

"Thanks for keeping it PG," he said with a grin.

Ethan laughed and shook his head. "I didn’t have much material to work with."

The reception was in full swing. Upbeat music filled the air, and the fairy lights the decorators had strung on the ceiling glowed over the crowd of people on the dance floor. But Max's eyes were only on one person.

Willow.

She was dancing in a loose circle with Chelsea, Natalie, and Cara in the middle of the polished wood floor under a disco ball. Her cheeks were flushed, her hair was shining, and the silky dress she wore hugged her body all the way down to the floor.

She was stunning.

He fucking loved her.

He took a drink of his beer and let himself watch her, laughing and moving. He couldn't wait to get her home later.

The music shifted and Adam's uncle David came over the speakers announcing the bouquet toss. Suddenly, the dance floor cleared of men and filled with women.